


Milk Tabs

by escherlat



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24743371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/escherlat/pseuds/escherlat
Summary: Max Caulfield, gifted art and photography student, is about to embark on a new chapter in her life: studying abroad. How will her girlfriend, Chloe Price, deal with this change? Will their love survive thousands of miles and months of separation?
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Comments: 15
Kudos: 42





	Milk Tabs

“Fuck!” Chloe slammed her hand against the side of her truck, then rested her arms atop the sides. For a moment, she stared at the dimming horizon, then she lay her head on her arms. Right now it felt like nothing was going right.

Today was supposed to be that day! She’d had things planned out, but hadn’t expected the store to close early. Worse, even after she pounded on the door until the shopkeeper opened, she told Chloe what she wanted wasn’t available. It would take a few weeks to come in.

She didn’t have a few weeks.

She didn’t even know if she had a few days.

Ever since Max had returned from her two-year program, life had seemed a whirlwind. And now Max would leave again, this time to pursue studies in Europe.

“Fuck!” She yelled at the sky. It felt good to yell, though it didn’t really solve anything. Well, that wasn’t really true. It solved that buildup of anxiety and fear the situation made.

And it wasn’t fair to be mad at the shopkeeper. She was the one that screwed up, not the shopkeeper. Chloe was glad she’d contained herself instead of blowing up at her.

_My own fucking mistake…_

With a yank, she opened the door and climbed into her truck. It started with a roar and she tore out of the parking lot! The truck screeched to a halt only a few feet away at the red light, revving her engine as she waited. Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel while she stared at the light.

_Change. Change. Change. Change, damn you!_

She’d waited for two years while Max pursued her studies in L.A. They’d dated the whole time, spending as much time texting and video chatting as they could. It wasn’t the same though. There was nothing like being with the person you loved. Like in the flesh and all that.

A horn blared behind her, and Chloe blinked. The light had turned green without her noticing. With a muttered curse, she moved her foot off the brake pedal and her truck fish-tailed forward. It straightened out and she drove to the next light.

Max had been back for a month now, and they’d spent all their free time together. She knew Max’s mind on this, or thought she did. That didn’t quell the doubt and uncertainty that turned her insides into knots.

_Even if this went by the book, would we survive four years apart?_

The tail lights ahead of her blurred, and she had to blink rapidly for them to come back into focus. With a swipe across her eyes, Chloe engaged the blinker and turned.

_I suppose it means something that when she came back, she came to stay with me, not her parents._

That was a good thought. Yes, very good. Max could have returned to Seattle to stay in her parent’s home, but she had chosen to come live with Chloe in Portland.

_In my shitty apartment. She deserves so much better…_

Her job was hourly and didn’t give her much flexibility. She’d managed, over the last two years, to get people to cover for her. That allowed her to visit Max at school. And her girlfriend had come here on some of her breaks. Except the summer breaks, that is; that time was devoted to extra studies and projects.

_Which really made her art be fucking awesome!_

Yes, she was hella proud of her girlfriend and all she’d accomplished. It seemed her dream was coming true. What was it she’d said all those years ago?

A swing set came to mind and a view of the world upside-down. She and Max had spent the day together. Their world was changing and she was excited about how the future looked wide open to her teenaged eyes. Max, though, she looked at things differently.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” The freckled-faced girl sat on a crossbar of the swingset, her face scrunched in that way she often got when she concentrated.

“Max, I’m already grown up. What about you?” It was strange to look at her younger friend while hanging upside down from the top of the swing set. And it made her nose feel odd.

“Travel. That would be awesome. Explore the world. Go far from here…”

“Far from me,” she’d replied, “Thanks a lot, dude.” That thought had made her stomach feel funny. She flipped herself to the ground, landing lightly on her feet.

“Dude, you would totally come with me,” Max had reassured her as she slipped from the crossbar. Her face had transformed from one of thought to one of excitement. “I need a bodyguard for our adventures!”

“What would you do while I was body guarding you?”

“Maybe take pictures of our adventures. I would love to be a photographer. As if I ever could be…”

“What are you talking about,” Chloe disagreed, “Max, you are a photographer. Your pictures could be in a museum. Someday they will. I believe in you…”

Only now it seemed her girlfriend would go off on those adventures, and Chloe would be left here in Portland. Alone. She pulled into the apartment complex as that thought soured her mind. Two years apart was harder than she let Max know, but it seemed doable. And she was close enough for a visit. Four years of Max thousands of miles away? She felt like throwing up.

In reality, her plan had been a bit desperate. Could they really last as a couple thousands of miles apart for four years?

But she had to try. No fucking way was she going down without a fight. That’s what you did for a person you loved, a person you believed in, right?

The truck pulled into a parking spot next to a familiar car.

_Shit! The Caulfields are here!_

With a groan, Chloe turned off the truck and slid down until her head rested on the back of the seat.

_Fucking hell, it’s going by too fast!_

Max’s parents were here for a farewell dinner. One or two days is all they had left together and then Chloe’s life would change forever. And she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that. It was a change she didn’t like. What made this change worse is it was a change Max was in favor of and worked toward.

Oh sure, Max had tried to get Chloe to come with her. She’d even talked Chloe into getting a passport. She’d researched where her school was to find work for Chloe. It was fun to talk about and imagine, but reality was very different. She didn’t have a means of supporting herself in another country, let alone one where she didn’t speak the language. And Max wouldn’t be in one place; her studies would take her all over Europe. Unless Chloe suddenly came into a lot of money or got some fancy-ass high-paying job that moved her to a European branch with the freedom to work from wherever, she was stuck. And she didn’t want to be a burden to Max or anyone.

No. She was staying here. She did not want to stand in the path of Max’s dreams. With another groan, she opened the door and grabbed the bags of groceries from the floor. She exited the truck, closing the door gently and locking it. Then she began the walk up the stairs.

_Three fucking floors!_

Rent was cheaper on the third floor, but hauling furniture and groceries up there sucked! The parents hadn’t liked it either whenever they visited. Aside from Joyce, that only happened when Max was in town though.

She unlocked their apartment, stepped inside, then closed and locked the door behind her.

_This is it, Chloe. Be happy for her. This is likely the last time she’ll see her parents for a while too. Don’t fucking ruin this evening for her!_

With the biggest smile she could muster and still feel genuine, Chloe stepped from the tiny foyer into the living room. Max and Vanessa were at the table looking at a book together. Ryan was in the chair watching tv.

_Fuck! She cleaned for me!_

Chloe kept the groan inside herself as she waved at everyone.

_Saving my ass again._

Ryan rose to do the ‘gentlemanly’ thing and carry the grocery bag. She waved him off and walked toward the kitchen. Their… her apartment was tiny and felt crowded with the extra people in it.

“Hey there,” Max said as she passed them. Chloe responded with a grunt before placing the bags on the counter. Max already had something baking in the oven. Chloe put the groceries away and then turned her attention to the few things that needed done.

She was surprised by hands reaching around her waist and tickling her. She spun and swatted the hands away with a laugh. “Stop it, you rascal,” she said.

Max gave her a mischievous grin and approached her with hooked fingers. “Not until you pee your pants,” she said evilly.

“Ooh, you’re getting it, girl,” Chloe said and dove for the attack.

Max shrieked and ran from her when Chloe’s fingers found their mark. The brown-haired girl was far more ticklish than she and Chloe loved to use it to her advantage. She chased Max into the living room and cornered her by the door. Within moments, Max was reduced to a giggling mass on the floor.

“You’re so mean,” Max panted as she protected herself and looked up at Chloe.

“Don’t start what you can’t stop,” Chloe said as she held out a hand to help Max up. A huge grin, totally genuine, lit up her face. Max accepted the offered hand and pulled against it.

With a smooth yank, Chloe had Max on her feet and in her space. Her hands slipped to Max’s hips and she stared into the most crystalline blue eyes she’d ever seen. No matter how many times she looked into Max’s eyes, she found new things to admire, including the different expressions Max could make with them.

Like right now, they darted to the side then back at Chloe.

“I’m not worried about them,” Chloe said with a smirk.

A red hue crept up her girlfriend’s face as Chloe lowered hers. Max began to shift from side to side but didn’t try to escape. Chloe knew showing affection in front of her parents made Max very uncomfortable.

She only brushed Max’s nose with her own and whispered, “I love you.” Chloe stepped away and swung her arms. She let them clap together when they came forward. With their little display over, and in a much better mood, she turned and sauntered back to the kitchen. Ryan had a little smile on his face while Vanessa tried not to look at Chloe.

Chloe finished the meal preparations while Max spent time with Ryan and Vanessa. She tried to ignore all the little hints the Caulfields gave about being away from their daughter for a long time.

Once the food was ready, they crowded around the tiny table. The plates nearly touched each other the space was so small. The food was good and so was the company but as time passed, Chloe began to wish it was another day. Or that the dinner never happened. Or that it was the beginning of the month. Anything to give her more time with Max.

Although it had started when Max was a preteen, it wasn’t until she completed High School that her photos began to get attention. Attention beyond Chloe’s. It began with local art shows in Seattle. From there, her photos started appearing in local art magazines both there and in Portland. It wasn’t long before her photos showed up in national journals and even won some awards.

Chloe knew Max was seen as an up-and-coming artist. People clamored for her attention. A few enterprising individuals had even found Chloe and tried to use her to get close to Max. Chloe would have none of that of course and she delighted in finding creative ways to tell them to fuck off.

Oh, she’d pursued her own art too, in between completing her GED and work. Her unofficial art decorated a number of buildings in downtown Portland, and a few in Seattle. Street art didn’t attract the kind of attention that Max’s had, though. Certainly not the kind of attention that drew one to Europe for special studies. Max gushed over her art as much as she gushed over Max’s and it touched her deeply.

All of that stirred only pride in her. Pride and happiness for her girlfriend. Would she do it all again? Well, sure she’d skip a few of those teenage years, but for this time? For Max to fulfill her dreams? Right now there was little that made her that happy. And she would do what she could to support Max. Even if that meant staying behind.

The food was good, Chloe supposed, but her mood made it tasteless. Time was slipping away from her and before she knew it, she and Max would start a new part of their lives. A part she wasn’t confident they’d be able to survive apart. The plate of food blurred. With a loud sniff, Chloe stood and cleared her throat. She found three sets of eyes focused on her.

“I… uh… I’m done,” she said awkwardly. The plate in front of Vanessa was empty so Chloe grabbed it and put her plate on top of it. “Almost time for dessert.” She hastened to the kitchen and set the plates and utensils in the sink. She rubbed her hands on a towel then hastened to the bedroom.

Once the door was closed, she sagged against the wall and tried to catch her breath. It was all happening too fast! A month ago this moment had seemed so far away. And now it was nearly upon her.

Something touched her elbow and a voice said, “Hey, are you ok?”

She turned to find Max close to her with that worried expression she got. It was one of the expressions Chloe worked hard to never see on Max’s face because it always tore at her heart.

Like it did now.

Max blurred for a moment and Chloe pushed herself from the wall. She slipped her hands into her pockets and tried to adopt a confident, couldn’t-care-less pose. “Yeah, no. It’s fine.”

Max folded her arms and tilted her head in disbelief.

_Fuck._

“Really,” Max said and didn’t even try to hide the disbelief. There was a stronger emotion in her voice though. Concern.

Chloe looked down, then over at their bed.

_My bed. Two more days…_

“No, I’m not alright,” she whispered with her focus still on the bed.

Hands settled on her hips and pulled her toward Max. “It’ll be ok,” Max whispered. “They’ll be gone soon and then you’ll have me all to yourself.”

“For two days…” She couldn’t complete the thought.

“It’s not too late,” Max said. She moved her head as she spoke so she could look into Chloe’s eyes. But Chloe kept moving them. As much as she wanted to see those blue eyes again, Chloe couldn’t right now. “I can cancel and find a place to study here.”

“No fucking way,” Chloe said. “This is a once in a lifetime chance for you! I’d hate myself if I came between you and that!”

“You’re more important to me than that,” Max whispered.

“You say that now, but in ten, twenty years, will you? I’ve seen what happens when people pass these kinds of chances by. They’re fine in the moment, but years later they wish they’d taken the chance.”

After a moment’s silence, Max said, “That may be true for those other people, but there’s one thing I have that they don’t.”

“What, your ability to rewind?”

“No, silly.” Fingers touched Chloe’s cheek and she found herself looking at Max. The fingers traced under her eye and down her jaw to her chin. Max gazed at Chloe, eyes locked on hers.

“No,” Max whispered, “they don’t have you.”

With all her willpower, Chloe closed her eyes and took Max’s hand in hers. “I really appreciate that,” she whispered. “But I couldn’t bear the thought that I cost you this chance at your dreams.”

Max didn’t answer and the silence lengthened until Chloe opened her eyes. The way Max looked at her took Chloe’s breath away. Her eyes shone clearly in the dim light from the hall. “You are my dream,” Max breathed and touched Chloe’s other cheek. “Never forget that.” Then she turned and left.

Chloe sagged against the wall. They’d had this discussion many times, sometimes even an argument, and it always ended in this weird state. Never had Max uttered those words though, and she didn’t know what to make of them.

_All I want is for Max to have this chance, to prove to herself and the world how great she is! How great I know she is…_

She stayed against the wall while her heart hammered in her chest. Max’s presence had made her hyperventilate and it took a while to return to normal breathing. When she felt somewhat in control, she pushed herself away from the wall, straightened her clothes, and left the bedroom.

Ryan and Vanessa were cleaning up the kitchen while Max sat at the table looking at a book. Chloe nodded at the Caulfields before joining Max at the table.

“Look,” Max said as Chloe seated herself next to her. “This is where I’ll stay while over there.” Pictures of rolling hills, fields and little streams covered the pages. A mixture of modern and ancient buildings were collected into a town and scattered throughout. Chloe blinked rapidly as Max gushed over the cute village.

The school, if it could be called that, where Max would study was located in a larger city. The little village is where she’d stay and commute from. She didn’t expect to spend much time in either location though, as her studies involved her traveling Europe. Along the way, she’d study the different art styles that evolved in Europe and be taught by many of the leading minds in the art world.

_All this from taking a few photos…_

So many emotions ran rampant in Chloe as she watched Max turn the pages: love, pride, fear, happiness, and many more; some of which she couldn’t identify. There was something stuck in her throat and her stomach was flipping all over the place. It was like she was approaching a cliff at a million miles per hour and she kept pressing on the gas.

“Congratulations!” The Caulfields voices startled Chloe from her thoughts. Max slid the book from the table as Ryan placed a cake in the middle. Vanessa followed it up with a tray bearing a carafe of coffee, mugs, sugar, plates, and forks. She and Ryan seated themselves then passed out the mugs.

“Oh, I forgot the milk,” Ryan said and began to rise.

“I got it,” Chloe exclaimed and immediately shot out of her seat. The moment she’d seen the cake her anxiety had returned, along with that feeling like she was going to throw up. The night was getting on and time was slipping away. Soon she’d be saying goodbye to Max…

Before Ryan or Vanessa could say anything, Chloe stumbled her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and yanked out the carton of soy milk. It was one of the things she’d brought home tonight, so she put it on the counter to open it.

_Do we have something fancy to put this in?_

No, they didn’t have anything fancy. The carton would have to do. She shook it a few times before undoing the cap. Inside was the pull tab which came off with a satisfying pop. She set the tab on the counter then replaced the cap.

As her hand closed on the carton in preparation for returning to the table, her eyes fell upon the cap. It was a silly little thing, a round plastic disk attached to a plastic ring. The ring drew her eye as a thought blossomed in her mind.

She closed her eyes and breathed in and out a few times. When she opened her eyes, the tab was still on the counter. And the idea still captivated her. She’d planned to do this anyway, only with something more proper and worthy of Max. With a deft move, she slipped the pull tab into her pocket, hefted the carton and returned to the table.

Her heart was in her throat the entire time and her breath barely came to her. She set the carton on the table and moved to return to her chair. Only her legs didn’t want to work so she kind of stood there awkwardly looming over Max. Ryan glanced at her, then returned to sliding pieces of cake to the disposable plates.

Chloe closed her eyes and breathed in then out. And found herself sinking. Sinking. Sinking. Until she was on one knee.

_Fuck! I’m doing this! I’m really doing this!_

She opened her eyes to find Max looking at her quizzically, one eyebrow raised. They were at eye level. “Are you ok,” Max asked.

“Max, never Maxine, Caulfield,” Chloe whispered through a parched mouth. “Would you… um… would you marry me?” Her hand came from her pocket as she spoke and opened to display the milk tab on her open palm.

The world slowed to a moment where there was only Max and the small smile that formed as Chloe spoke. Her eyes sparkled in a way that Chloe wanted to see forever.

Fingers touched her cheek and Chloe found that suddenly she could breathe! But her mouth was still dry and her tongue now stuck to the roof of her mouth. Everything was spinning and she was certain this was not going to end well.

_I shouldn’t have done it like this! She deserves so much better. What the fuck you were thinking, Price? Offering her a pull tab is insulting!_

Max held the pull tab in front of Chloe’s eyes and it was the only thing that mattered, the only thing that existed. For a moment, Chloe thought this is what death is like, where you see the things that matter the most and only understand then what they mean to you.

“I will,” Max whispered and Chloe thought for a moment she could live again.

“On one condition,” Max continued, then went silent.

With a dry gulp that kind of hurt, Chloe rasped, “What is it?”

“Do you remember when we were little and I asked what you wanted to be when you grew up?”

Chloe nodded, uncertain that her voice would respond right now. The earlier memory flitted through her mind.

“I said I wanted to travel the world and take pictures. And you told me I’d be awesome at it.” Again, Chloe nodded. Just like she’d remembered earlier.

“Do you know what the most important part of that dream was to me?

Chloe shook her head.

“That you’d be with me. I need my bodyguard. I need you.”

“But-” Chloe began to say. She didn’t like that this was turning into a negotiation. It didn’t feel right.

“Let me finish,” Max said. With another gulp, Chloe nodded.

“You are the most important part of me,” Max said. “That’s one thing I learned the two years where we were mostly apart. I don’t want to do that again-”

“So you’re not going,” Chloe interrupted hotly. She wasn’t sure what she thought of that. Of course, right now everything inside was topsy-turvy anyway.

“That’s not what I’m saying. Take another look at the cake.”

Puzzled, Chloe forced her eyes to the cake. She had to tilt her head to read it:

Congratulations M_x and C_lo_

“Why is my name on it - wait! Were you planning to ask me to marry you? Oh, I’m such an idiot!”

“No, Chloe,” Max said with a nervous giggle. “I’ve wanted to tell you this for so long but couldn’t get the words right. And when we’d talk about it… I couldn’t say things that made sense. Maybe this will.”

She pulled a folded envelope from her pocket and handed it to Chloe. With a furrowed brow, Chloe opened the envelope and pulled out some papers. She glanced at the letterhead then at Max then read the letter. Then read it again. And because there was no fucking way in hell it was true, she read it a third time. Finally, her hand fell, the papers clutched tightly in it.

The words they contained didn’t make any sense. It said that one Chloe Elizabeth Price was invited to be part of the Art studies that Max was in. That a ‘representation of American Street art would be much valued in the program.’

Emotions, intense and scary, swept through her. Her head was in the clouds above, giddy and surreal, yet her stomach churned with worry and anxiety.

“There was an opening, so I submitted on your behalf,” Max said, “with pictures of your street art. I hoped they would accept you because I was so torn up about this choice. I didn’t want to leave you again and had already decided that if I couldn’t find a way for you to come with me, I wouldn’t go. You mean more to me than those studies. You are my dream, Chloe. You as my partner, living life together, that’s what I want.”

The words brought Chloe back to reality and she found that those other emotions, the ones that churned her stomach and threatened to empty its contents, had vanished. Max’s hand was where it was a few minutes ago, palm up with the milk tab resting on it.

Slowly, Chloe picked up the pull tab and looked at it. Surprises come in the most remarkable ways. “I accept,” she whispered. With her gaze locked on Max’s eyes, she slipped the ring of the tab on Max’s finger.

Max leaned forward and their lips met and it didn’t matter that her parents were across the table from them. It didn’t matter that the jewelry store didn’t have the right ring. It didn’t matter.

What mattered was this moment. Everything after tonight was just details. Chloe broke the kiss to look again at Max. Her fingers touched Max’s cheek. Her girlfriend was the most amazing woman ever.

“Promise me one thing,” Max said as she put her arms around Chloe’s neck.

“What’s that,” Chloe asked as she drew nearer for another kiss.

“I want us both to have these rings at the official ceremony.” She held out her hand to the side and showed off the white plastic disk like it was the most beautiful gem ever. And Chloe guessed that it was. Because it was on Max’s finger.

“For you,” Chloe said before their lips met again, “anything.” Then after another kiss, “shit!”

“What?”

“We need another milk tab!”

**Author's Note:**

> This work is dedicated to two friends whose engagement announcement inspired this story. Like Max and Chloe, may you have a fulfilling life of adventure together.


End file.
